Nut-lock.



633,|46-1 Patented Nov. 28, 1 899.- S. S. BOSZELL. NUT LOCK.

(Application filed July 11, 1899.) (No Model.)

Nrrnn STATES ATENT FFlCE.

STEPHEN S. ROSZELL, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNR. ALLEN, OF SAME PLACE.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,146, dated November28, 1899.

Application filed July 11, 1899. Serial No. 723,497. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN S. RoszELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky,have invented new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lock-nuts, all of which will befully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

One object of my invention is to provide a nut with a short lockingmember projecting at right angles to its outer face a sufficient I5distance to extend slightly across the bore of the nut when bent inward,whereby its extremity is adapted to engage the shoulder upon the boltfor holding the nut locked against coming unscrewed.

Another object of my present invention is to construct a nut so that itmay be used as an ordinary nut or as a locking-nut, according to theWishes of the user, by simply inserting or removing alockingmember,which may be either in the form of a strip of sheet metal or apliable piece of Wire, which in either event is constructed to wedgeinto the nut by an outward movement, thus causing the locking member tobe forced into a tight 3o engagement with its opening in the nut underthe tightening pressure of the latter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of mypreferred form of the locking device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is across-sectional view taken throngh'the nut. Fig. 5 is a detachedperspective view of the locking member. Fig.

6 is a perspective view of my lock, showing a slight modification inrespect to the locking member. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional viewof Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of the modified lockingmember shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a bolt of the usual form, and whichis provided with a lockingshoulder preferably formed by a longitudinalgroove a made therein. 13 is a nut, also of the usual form, and this nuthas 5 in its edge one or more transverse dovetailed slots 7), into whichis passed a tapered or wedgeshaped locking member O.- This lockingmember O is tapered outwardly, as shown, and is composed of a strip ofpliable sheet metal, enabling its projecting tapered end to be bentinward, as shown in Fig. 1, with its extremity engaging the groove a inthe bolt, thus serving to lock the nut against removal after it has beenturned upon the bolt for clamping the parts held thereby in position. Itshould be noted that this locking member O is short, so that its endwill extend slightly into or across the bore of the nut when it is bentdownward parallel or approximately parallel to the outer face of thenut. Preferably I use two of these locking members, attached to the nutat opposite edges, and one groove in the bolt, whereby the nut can belocked at every hand revolution thereof. However, it will be readilyunderstood that instead of having two oftheselockingdevices attached tothe nutone locking device may be provided and the bolt provided with twogrooves in opposite sides thereof, which will accomplish the samepurpose. It will also be readily understood that one, two, three, four,or as many of these grooves may be provided as desired for the purposeof locking the nut at various degrees in its turning movement, though inpractice the two locking devices or the two grooves are foundsufficient. I also desire to state thatinstead of providing the boltwith grooves the-bolt may be provided with longitudinal flat portions inthe place of the grooves, with which the inwardly-bent end of thelocking member will engage. By means of a device of the aboveconstruction this locking member may be inserted in the nut loosely, andthen the user may remove it if the nut is desired to be used as anordinary nut without 0 any locking action or permitted to remain inposition if it is desired to use the nut as a locking-nut, for thereason that owing to the fact that the locking member 0 is tightened bythe engagement of the inner end with the object being clamped, thuspreventing the locking memberfrom becoming removed after it is onceinserted in the dovetailed groove made for its reception. It will thusbe seen that this locking-nut is adapted to be used too as an ordinarynut by simply removing the locking member endwise from its retainingslotor to be used as a locking-nut by simply inserting the locking member inposition in its groove, and it is there held automatically againstremoval by contact with the object being clamped.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 I show a modification in that I use a lockingtapered pin, which is held in a transverse opening E in the nut, thesaid pin being tapered outwardly the same as the sheet-metal lockingmember 0, Fig. 1, so that it can be inserted from the inside of theunit, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and S, or removed therefrom, according towhether the nut is to be used as an ordinary nut or as a lockingnut. Theopening E in the nut preferably has straight sidesthat is to say, is nottaperedwhile theloeking-pin D is tapered, as shown, from its outer end,so that when it is placed within the opening and forced outward by theturning of the nut against the object to be clamped it is rigidly heldwithin the said opening bya wedging action. If desired, however, thispin can be driven into the nut before it is applied; but whether it isdriven or whether it is forced. in by the engagement of its inner endwith the object being clamped by the nut it is held against removal bythe object clamped, as will be readily understood. The projecting end ofapin is made of a length to project slightly into or across the bore ofthe nut the same as the locking member 0, Fig. 1, whereby it is adaptedto engage the groove a in the bolt or a shoulder formed upon the bolt byflattening it, as. explained in respect to Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Theconstruction shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 is also adapted, as will bereadily seen, to be used as an ordinary nut or as a locking-nut by theinsertion or removal of the locking-pin, as may be desired by the user.Especial attention is directed to the fact that this locking member isshort and that it bends inward from the outer face of the nut and isadapted to be carried down parallel with the outer face of the nut, orapproximately so, for locking the nut.

The device is very simple and cheap to construct in that the groovesshown in Fig.1 or the opening or openings shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may beformed in the nut at the same time that the bolt-opening is formed, andthus not increasing the cost of the nut, the only additional cost beingthe simple and cheap locking members, whether in the form of a strip ofsheet metal, as shown in Fig. 1, or a tapered pin, as shown in Figs. 6,7, and 8.

In the use of the locking device the nut may be provided with thelocking members attached, if desired, and in this event the nut issimply screwed to position, and in the clamping action the lockingmember is forced tightly into its holding groove or opening andautomatically held against removal, the outer end then being bent-inwardparallel or approximately parallel to the outer face of the nut and inengagement with the lockingshoulder of the bolt. In the event that thelocking member is furnished to the userseparate from the nut the userwill insert the locking member into its holding groove or opening, andit may be tightly placed in position by engagement with the objectclamped by the nut or may be driven into position by a slight tap withthe wrench or hammer, and the clamping action will then serve to stillfurther force the locking member endwise and wedge it tightly into itsholding opening or groove. When the nut has been carried to its desiredclamped position, the short projecting end of the locking member isturned downward in engagement with the lockingshoulder of the bolt.

A nut-lock of the above construction is readily and quickly removed bylifting or forcing outward the extremity of the locking membersufficiently to permit it to escape the locking-shoulder of the bolt,and this is accomplished by the insertion of any suitable device underthe end of the locking member. This enables me to use the same. nut overand over again without destroying the locking action, thus producingwhat may be aptly termed a removable and a non-removable nut. Thelocking member being composed of a pliable metal, and since it is onlynecessary to bend it outward a very short distance to disengage thelocking-shoulder of the bolt, the nut can be locked and unlocked almostindefinitely without destroying or injuring the locking member. Thisadaptability of my simple lock to be quickly and readily bent forlocking and unlocking produces a simple and cheap nut adapted for allpurposes for which a nut can be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a nut-lock, the combination with a screw-threaded bolt having alocking-shoulder in its threaded portion, of a nut thereon, said nuthaving a pliable locking member directly attached to said nut againstaxial movement thereon, the locking member projecting beyondtheouterface of the nut a distance sufficient to permit it to be bent inward toward the outer face of the nut, substantially as shown with itsextremity in engagement with said locking-shoulder of the bolt,substantially as described.

2. A nut-lock comprising a nut having a transverse locking memberpassage-way, and a locking member having an elongated ta pered portionadapted to fit and wedge within said passage-way, by longitudinalmovementof the locking member, said locking member projecting beyond theouter. face of the nut a distance suflicient to permit it to be bentinward substantially as shown in engagement with a shoulder upon a bolt,substantially as described.

3. A nut-lock comprising a nut having a transverse groove in the edgethereof, and a locking member consisting of an outwardlytapered strip ofsheet metal adapted to be wedged in the said groove and the projectingend adapted to be bent inward for engagement With a locking-shoulderupon a bolt, substantially as described.

4. A nut-lock comprising a nut having a transverse dovetailed groove inits edge, and a locking member consisting of an outwardlytapered stripof sheet metal having a short projecting end extending in a direction ina line with the said groove, and its projecting to end adapted to bebent inward in engagement with a looking-shoulder upon a bolt,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

STEPI-IEN S. ROSZELL. Witnesses:

J. J. NELLIGAN, W. F. PONTOW.

